Architecton

When I started watching this, I was expecting a "regular" documentary about the history of stone and concrete, and their use as building materials. Of course that's not at all what I got.

Though I can appreciate artsy films, I have to admit that at some point they can become tiresome. Architecton definitely falls into that category. It shows images related to stones/concrete, but there does not seem to be an arc connecting them. Here are bombed-out buildings. Here are rocks being blasted. Here is an interesting concrete building. Here is an old man using rocks in his garden. Here are some more bombed-out buildings... And on it goes. There aren't even any titles to let us know where we are/what we are looking at.

Perhaps 20 years ago I would have been more impressed. However, now in 2025, this film had nothing new to offer. I've seen all these images before, and this format of images set to music has been done to death. With today's video and drone technology, I feel like this isn't much better than many videos you can find on YouTube, or something a film student could create.

Did you know that after water, concrete is the most used substance on Earth? That follows on from our discovery of just adaptable stone could be. Since prehistoric times we have used it for everything from weaponry to housing, and though this doesn't go back quite that far it uses some interesting photographic techniques to illustrate just how we incorporate it into everyday life. From time to time these images are quite cleverly presented, especially the explosive cascading of the more sedimentary and crystalline rocks that almost crumble as they descend, and there are also some rather depressing remnants of constructions that have suffered through time to now resemble something from a war zone. Sadly, though, most of the conversation adds very little to the rather repetitive nature of the film and there is an certain element of once you have seen one or two drone-shot sequences, then maybe you have seen enough. It could have been better encapsulated onto half an hour where the photography and it's underpinning chronology could have been used to more potent effect, and the soundtrack rather adds to the blandness after a while rather than augmenting anything. It does showcase some quite differing architectural styles - human and natural, and you don't need to be an aesthete to appreciate that some are more appealing than others, and it is worth a watch.

The further you watch this film, the clearer your ideas become and the stronger the emotions. The text of the few lines is extremely sophisticated. The two old people do not try to give answers, but just describe a dream. Behind the dream are all the images of the film.

From destroyed building facades to ancient buildings, blasting to construction, the director filmed them all from an unusual perspective. The small stones are like running water, but the huge quarry is like a ripple.

From ancient times to the present, stones have been manipulated in this way in images and reality from start to end.

The tangled thoughts and emotions in the first half suddenly became clear when the "circle" was formed and began to expand slowly. Then you will start to admire the director's magical camera scheduling and arrangement. Master skill.

But the sound of the explosion was too sudden, even if it counted down.

After I left the house, I was still not satisfied, so I listened to "Cai Shi" by Omnipotent Youth Society. The perfect background music comes from "The theory of becoming".

The movie about The Stone is replete with technically excellent and visually stunning shots, yet it unfolds in a way that feels monotonous and repetitive. Admittedly, the opportunity to admire views that are usually not appreciated by the naked eye is unique and can be mesmerizing. However, the film's slow pace makes this potentially enriching experience rather tiresome.

The main message of the author is only revealed in the epilogue, and it's not as if the preceding visuals significantly contribute to illustrating this point. The question that the author asks is intriguing but arrives too late. By the time it is presented, viewers might find themselves unable to fully contemplate and digest this thought.

Architecton is an interesting documentary that explores the ancient buildings, constructions, and the world perspective about the stones graved into the earth. It's a surreal experimental piece of art.

Director Victor Kossakovsky does a beautifully work on capturing the stones and the world of concrete by using gorgeous camerawork, intensifying soundtracks and colors presented. Each shot of the buildings and the rocks shines well on the magic about rocks and the amazement of concrete surface. The use of incredible sound designs, imagery and poetic nature structure was very purposeful and intriguing.

Being near dialogue free, at times, I did wish the documentary did focus a bit on certain context since there are certain aspects that I thought could have been explored a bit more. But overall, a really good documentary.